Oman decries Israel's aggression on Syria
Oman reiterates its urgent appeal to the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities by ensuring Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied Syrian territories, halting all hostile actions endangering civilian lives, and implementing a comprehensive political solution in accordance with UN Resolution 2254, which aims to restore stability in Syria through a Syrian-led transitional process.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Oman affirmed its full support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its solidarity with the Syrian people. It called for intensified international efforts to protect civilians and alleviate their suffering by providing necessary humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, Syrian leader Ahmed al Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority on Thursday, after US intervention helped end deadly fighting between government forces and Druze fighters in the south.
Overnight, the government's troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict pitting Druze fighters against government troops and Bedouin tribes.
One local journalist said he'd counted more than 60 bodies in the streets of Sweida on Thursday morning. Ryan Marouf of Suwayda24 said he had found a family of 12 people killed in one house, including women and an elderly man. Violence in Syria escalated sharply on Wednesday as Israel launched air strikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze - part of a small but influential minority that also has followers in Lebanon and Israel.
Israel, which bombed Syria frequently under the rule of ousted president Bashar al Assad, has struck the country repeatedly this year.
Addressing Syrians on Thursday, interim President Sharaa accused Israel of seeking to "dismantle the unity of our people", saying it had "consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime".
Sharaa said that protecting Druze citizens and their rights was "our priority" and rejected any attempt to drag them into the hands of an "external party".
He also vowed to hold to account those who committed violations against "our Druze people".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarisation of a swathe of territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida. He reiterated Israel's policy to protect the Druze. - Agencies
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